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I am .....
Please agree with me for the moment that life is about choosing who you want to be. And I ask you to also agree that this choice applies to business as well as personally. Would you agree further that we depend on our beliefs to shape our perception of ourselves and our business? Our beliefs come from many different places; parents, friends, siblings, television, movies, to name a few. Many are passed down from generation to generation, so some of our beliefs can be 100's of years old. Think about that for a minute. You'll be able to go back and find several beliefs that have been carried forward generation after generation in your family. Beliefs you now hold and that define you. So, here's the thing. Say you wanted to change a belief about yourself. Maybe you have a belief that you are not very smart or you are not a creative person. It's a limiting belief that you have. Something that is keeping you where you are - stuck.
I think of beliefs as perceptual habits. The good news is, both how we look at a thing, and the thing we do, can be changed. And actually the process is pretty simple.
Call up the belief you have about yourself that you want to change. That belief has become a habit over time through repetition - maybe Mom believed it. Dad believed it. And my evidence supports it. Must be true.
Not necessarily so. Remember, we choose who we want to be.
For example, maybe your belief is, "I'm not a salesperson. I can't sell." And that perception of yourself is supported because you also believe that salespeople are only out to make money, can't be trusted to do the right thing and are dishonest. But .... that is a belief about yourself that you would like to change because you know that that particular belief about selling is limiting you, your income, your opportunities and your self esteem (because you feel you are just a victim).
Change your perspective. Pull up examples of positive sales experiences you've had. There will be plenty, but many may not be in your typical old sales belief paradigm. Successful salespeople only thrive when they help and serve others. So look for examples where you have been helped. Have you been offered a drink with your meal, took it and enjoyed it? Did a CSR suggest a bundle package that better fit your needs and saved you money? Were you offered shipping terms that helped you and your client manage cash and inventory better? Sales.
We all sell - all day, everyday. So now think of times that you sold and felt good about it. Maybe you offered a car pool solution that worked for everybody. Or you came up with a time and a place for a night out that brought people together. Or you suggested a solution to management that increased productivity and wages. And the list goes on and on.
Habits become habits through repetition. So over the next couple of weeks, actively search for times that you have sold by offering a service that helped others and created a good feeling in both you and them. You will find that over time, examples of sales service will become easier to pull up, your perspective of 'salespeople' will mature, your intimidation will diminish, your belief will change.
And...you will have chosen another aspect of who you want to be.
To your success,
Bruce
Front Line Marketing
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